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438 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW
tions against the Talmud and its study from the era of
Justinian, the Middle Ages are richest in such incidents
that illustrate the temper of the times. France furnishes
the first chapter in the mediaeval record of the Talmud's
fate. In the thirteenth century, the French rabbis, with
more courage than prudence, excommunicated Nicholas
Donin. Rabbis are human after all, and learn sometimes
too well from their neighbours. They are more impression-
able than is generally believed, and can be taught readily
by their surroundings. The quality of imitativeness has
usually been a costly one to the Jew. In the case of
Donin, they simply adopted the mediaeval method of
silencing heresy; the result was distinctly disagreeable.
To avenge their judgment on his opinions, he became
a convert; and, quick to convince his new brethren of
his zeal, he assailed the Talmud before Pope Gregory IX
and St. Louis of France. He accused it of blasphemy and
abuse of the Christian religion, in a long list of charges
to which the Pope gave willing ear. A transcript was
promptly sent by Gregory to the heads of the Church
in various lands, and a letter was written to the monarchs
of these countries, to demand their support. Apparently,
there was more rattle than fang in papal decrees in that
era, for only in France was the Talmud really confiscated.
In 1240 the Jews were compelled by law to surrender
their copies, and the work was put on trial. A public
disputation was held, and four prominent rabbis of North
France were summoned to appear each in turn, and refute,
if possible, Donin's charges. The scene took place at the
royal court on June 25, 1240, in the presence of the
Queen-mother Blanche, the Bishops of Paris and Senlis,
and of many Dominicans. After a three days' discussion
in Latin, the Talmud was ordered to be burnt. For a
time the sentence was not executed, owing to the inter-
cession of the Archbishop of Sens. On his sudden death,
however, copies of the Talmud and similar writings were
seized by order of Louis, and twenty-four cartloads of them
THE TALMUD IN HISTORY 441
were burnt in Paris in June, 1242. Gregory's successor,
Innocent IV, in I243, promptly rescinded the edict of
destruction. This burning of the Talmud was not for-
gotten by the Jews. The anniversary was kept as a fast,
and elegies were written on the event.
The disputation at Paris was not without influence on
other lands. On July 20, 1263, Barcelona witnessed a
similar trial which lasted four days. Here there were
only two disputants-Nachmanides, the most famous
rabbi in Spain, and Pablo Christiani, a converted Jew
of the Dominican order. Both were men of controversial
ability, and the tournament possessed more intellectual
merit than its predecessor. After protracted parleying on
both sides, Nachmanides won warm praise from the King
of Aragon for his skilful defence. The Dominicans sought
to renew the discussion a week later in the Synagogue, but
here they had such little success that, when Nachmanides
left Barcelona, the King gave him 300 maravedis as a
token of respect.
The Talmud was not to enjoy any long respite from
attack. A year later, in 1264, at the request of Pablo
Christiani, Pope Clement IX issued a bull to the Bishop
of Taragona, commanding him to confiscate copies of the
Talmud, and submit them to the Dominicans and Fran-
ciscans for examination, and, if found blasphemous, to be
burnt. The King of Aragon having received this bull
from Pablo, ordered the Talmud to be examined, and all
apparently abusive and blasphemous passages to be struck
out. The Dominicans, with Pablo, became thus official
censors of the Talmud-which was a less radical method to
employ than wholesale condemnation to the flames.
The third public trial of the Talmud was remarkable for
its duration. It took place in Tortosa, Aragon, from Feb,
1413, until Nov. 12, I414. Sixty-eight sessions were
held, certainly sufficient in number to exhaust the subject
and the spectators. A Jewish convert again appeared as
accuser, Geronimo de Santa Fd. In defence of the Talmud
VOL. XIII. G g
44:2 THE JEWISH QUARTERLY REVIEW